Scholars at Risk Ireland and IFUT co-host Visiting Speaker as part of UCC’s Refugee Week.

The IFUT National Executive enthusiastically agreed to support the visit of Dr Prosper Maguchu, a Scholar at Risk, who will give a presentation in UCC as part of Refugee Week on Friday 7th February at 11.00 in G18 Brookfield, UCC. Given the centrality of Academic Freedom to the objects of IFUT, it is very appropriate that Dr Maguchu’s talk is entitled “Trade Unionism and Academic Freedom in Zimbabwe”. More detail can be found in the abstract and his bio below.

Trade Unionism and Academic Freedom in Zimbabwe

Abstract 
The end of the last decade has been occupied with pessimism about the role of NGOs in the promotion and protection of human rights. Several commentators have touted grassroots social movements as the future of human rights. Surprisingly, the potential role trade unionism can play in safeguarding human rights has not been closely examined. Although seen mainly in the context of pay rise—trade unions can be human rights watchdogs (of a particular type). This presentation explores the role that trade unions play in advocating academic freedom. The findings have implications for understanding academic freedom—a right that is often misconstrued. 

Biography
Prosper Maguchu is currently visiting associate professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Previously Prosper worked as a senior projects lawyer with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum specializing in public interest litigation. Prosper also teaches anti-corruption law, business and human rights as a guest at summer schools in universities in Africa and Europe. He holds a Masters degree in Transnational Criminal Justice and a doctorate on Transitional Justice, Corruption and Human Rights. His main research interests are in financial crimes, with a poorly concealed penchant for a human rights based approach. He has written and published in peer-reviewed journals as well as several book chapters on these areas.

Affiliation
Dr. Prosper Maguchu LLM, Visiting Associate Professor-Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 

More information on Scholars at Risk here: https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/scholars-at-risk-europe/
More information on IFUT can be found here: https://www.ifut.ie/about-ifut

Recent Publications:
Prosper Maguchu and Innocent Maja, The New Governments War on Corruption: A Lesson for Anti-Corruption and Transitional Justice Scholars and Practitioners (2019) 3 Journal of Anti-Corruption Law 76-98 
Prosper Maguchu,Grassroots Social Movements: A New Narrative on Human RIghts in Africa,(Abo Akademi University Institute for Human Rights Working Paper Series No. 1 of 2019) 1-19
Prosper Maguchu, Transitional Justice and Socioeconomic Rights in Zimbabwe (T.M.C Asser Press, 2019) DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6265-323-8
Prosper Maguchu,Revisiting Money Laundering Legislation in Zimbabwe and the Role of International Organisations (2018) 27African Security Review 278-290 DOI: 10.1080/10246029.2018.1544915